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A backlog at the Commerce Dept. is reportedly stalling Nvidia's H20 chip licenses
TechCrunch· 2025-08-01 20:30
Group 1 - The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has allowed chipmakers like Nvidia to sell certain AI chips in China again, but licensing delays persist [1] - Nvidia has not yet received a license to sell its H20 AI chips due to a backlog in the U.S. Department of Commerce [1][2] - National security experts are advocating for restrictions on Nvidia's sales of H20 AI chips to China, citing national security concerns [2] Group 2 - The U.S. Department of Commerce is experiencing a backlog of licensing applications due to staff losses and communication breakdowns with the industry [2]
A backlog at the Commerce Department is reportedly stalling Nvidia's H20 chip licenses
TechCrunch· 2025-08-01 20:30
Group 1 - The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has allowed chipmakers like Nvidia to sell certain AI chips in China, but licensing delays persist [1] - Nvidia has not yet received a license to sell its H20 AI chips due to a backlog in the U.S. Department of Commerce [1][2] - National security experts are advocating for restrictions on Nvidia's sales of H20 AI chips to China, citing national security concerns [2] Group 2 - The U.S. Department of Commerce is experiencing a backlog of licensing applications due to staff losses and communication breakdowns with the industry [2]
Tesla partly liable in Florida Autopilot trial, jury awards $200M punitive damages
TechCrunch· 2025-08-01 18:24
Core Points - A jury in Miami found Tesla partly responsible for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system, awarding $200 million in punitive damages to the plaintiffs [1][2] - The driver was assigned two-thirds of the blame for the incident, while Tesla was attributed one-third of the fault [2] - This verdict marks one of the first significant legal decisions against Tesla regarding driver assistance technology [2] Summary by Sections Legal Findings - The jury's decision comes after a three-week trial concerning a crash that resulted in the death of 20-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and severe injuries to her boyfriend [2] - The crash occurred when neither the driver nor the Autopilot system braked in time, leading to a collision with an SUV and the death of a pedestrian [2] Financial Implications - The awarded damages include $200 million in punitive damages, alongside compensatory damages for pain and suffering [1]
Klarna might reschedule its IPO for September
TechCrunch· 2025-08-01 13:00
In Brief Klarna might look to IPO as early as September, sources told Bloomberg. The news comes as fintech stock prices surge and the US IPO market strengthens. Klarna filed for IPO back in March but paused such plans only a month later after President Trump’s tariff announcements rattled the market. At the time, Klarna was looking to raise at least $1 billion and nab a $15 billion valuation. By June, however, Klarna’s co-founder and CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, took a different turn. When asked about the ...
Joby Aviation and defense contractor L3Harris to test autonomous hybrid aircraft
TechCrunch· 2025-08-01 12:00
Core Viewpoint - Joby Aviation is expanding its focus beyond commercial electric air taxis to include defense applications through a partnership with L3Harris Technologies to develop a gas-turbine hybrid vertical take-off and landing aircraft for military use [1][2]. Group 1: Partnership and Development - Joby Aviation has signed an agreement with L3Harris Technologies to explore the development of a new aircraft class, specifically a gas-turbine hybrid VTOL that can operate autonomously for defense applications [2]. - The new VTOL will be based on Joby's existing S4 aircraft platform, which has primarily been developed with an all-electric powertrain [3]. - Joby previously demonstrated a hydrogen-electric hybrid version of the S4 that achieved a flight range of 521 miles, significantly exceeding the range of its battery electric prototype [3]. Group 2: Testing and Certification - The agreement with L3Harris is currently exploratory, with hopes that upcoming flight tests and operational demonstrations will lead to a military contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) [4]. - Flight testing is scheduled to begin this fall, with operational demonstrations expected in 2026 [4]. - Joby has been working towards obtaining Type 1 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for its all-electric VTOL aircraft, aimed at urban passenger transport [4]. Group 3: Strategic Insights - Joby has collaborated with the DoD for nearly a decade, focusing on understanding the requirements necessary to meet military needs, particularly emphasizing the importance of range [5]. - The company aims to demonstrate the "missionization of its platform," integrating sensors, autonomy, communications, and payload capabilities to provide clear use cases for the DoD [7]. - L3Harris is expected to contribute its expertise in long-range, crewed-uncrewed teaming for various missions, including low-altitude support operations [8][9].
Amazon CEO wants to put ads in your Alexa+ conversations
TechCrunch· 2025-07-31 23:34
Core Insights - Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy sees potential in delivering ads through the AI-powered digital assistant Alexa+, aiming to enhance user engagement and drive revenue [1][2][9] Group 1: Alexa+ Development and Features - Alexa+ has been rolled out to millions of customers, enhancing the legacy digital assistant with more natural conversational capabilities [2] - The service is free for Prime customers and has a standalone subscription tier priced at $20 per month, with potential for additional subscription options in the future [3] - Early reviews of Alexa+ have been mixed, with challenges in shipping complex features and a slower rollout than anticipated [8] Group 2: Advertising Opportunities - Jassy suggests that as users engage in multi-turn conversations, there will be opportunities for advertising to assist in product discovery and revenue generation [2][4] - Amazon's advertising revenue increased by 22% in the second quarter compared to the previous year, indicating a growing focus on this revenue stream [9] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Google and OpenAI are also exploring advertising models within their AI products, suggesting a broader industry trend towards integrating ads in generative AI [5] Group 4: Investment in AI - Amazon's capital expenditures rose to $31.4 billion in the second quarter of 2025, a 90% increase year-over-year, primarily for developing in-house AI chips and expanding data centers [7] Group 5: Challenges and Considerations - There are concerns regarding the accuracy of AI-generated ads, as Alexa+ may produce false advertising, necessitating safeguards before advertisers commit [9] - Privacy concerns may arise from the increased data collection during conversations with AI chatbots, which could affect user comfort with targeted advertising [10]
Apple projects tariff costs will hit $1.1B next quarter
TechCrunch· 2025-07-31 23:25
Those cost projections, which are based on current rates and policies, could end up lower than expected as they did in the previous quarter. Apple incurred about $800 million of tariff-related costs for the June quarter, less than the $900 million estimate the company shared in May. Cook said most of the tariffs levied against Apple stem from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Earlier this year, and amid a brewing trade war, the U.S. government and China agreed to a 30% tariff on impor ...
Reddit revenue soars as it bets on AI and advertising
TechCrunch· 2025-07-31 22:13
Core Insights - Reddit's second-quarter earnings highlight a significant increase in focus on AI, particularly in enhancing its advertising business, which generated $465 million, accounting for 93% of total revenue [1] Advertising Business - The majority of Reddit's revenue is derived from advertising, with a reported $465 million in ad revenue for the second quarter [1] - New advertising features launched include Reddit Insights, which analyzes platform data for campaign strategies, and Conversation Summary Add-ons, allowing user discussions to be included in ads [2] Other Revenue Growth - The "other revenue" category, which includes data licensing deals with AI providers, saw a 24% year-over-year increase to $35 million, up from $28.1 million [3] - Reddit has established content licensing agreements with major AI companies like Google and OpenAI, indicating a steady income stream with long-term potential [4] AI Features - The Reddit Answers tool, launched in December, has gained traction with 6 million weekly users, up from 1 million in the previous quarter [5] - The company aims to integrate the Reddit Answers tool more deeply into the core search experience, enhancing the platform's search functionality [5]
Apple has now sold three billion iPhones
TechCrunch· 2025-07-31 21:35
Core Insights - Apple has sold three billion iPhones since its launch in 2007, with the billionth unit sold in 2016, indicating a consistent growth in popularity over the years [1][2] - Despite strong iPhone sales, Apple has faced challenges in the stock market, falling behind competitors like Nvidia and Microsoft in market valuation [2] - iPhone sales increased by 13% year-over-year, generating $44.6 billion in revenue, which constitutes nearly half of Apple's total revenue of $94 billion for the quarter [3] Sales Performance - The increase in iPhone sales is notable, with a significant revenue contribution to the overall financial performance of the company [3] - The sales surge may be influenced by market fears regarding potential tariff impacts on pricing, which could have driven consumers to purchase iPhones sooner [4]
Apple plans to ‘significantly' grow AI investments and is open to M&A
TechCrunch· 2025-07-31 21:21
Core Insights - Apple is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) as a critical technology for the future, with plans to integrate AI across its devices and platforms while significantly increasing investments in this area [2][4] - The company is open to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to expedite its AI initiatives, having already acquired seven companies in the current year, although none were substantial in financial terms [3][4] - Apple has faced criticism for lagging in the AI sector, particularly regarding the delayed launch of AI features, including an upgraded version of Siri, which is now expected in 2026 [4][5] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Apple reported better-than-expected iPhone sales and achieved record revenue, leading to a rise in stock prices during after-hours trading [7] AI Features and Developments - The company has launched over 20 AI features, including visual intelligence, cleanup, and writing tools, with plans to introduce additional features like live translation and an AI-powered workout buddy later this year [5]